Trouble Shooting

There are many factors and sensitivities to consider when embarking on a patient programme. Detailed below are the ten key potential pitfalls and hurdles that you may find yourself facing. Our experience has told us that these are the common ones and we have provided a few pointers to help you overcome these obstacles.

Common Pitfalls and Hurdles Soloutions

1. Confusing the difference between patient advocacy/herpes resource projects and patient support groups
Be clear about the difference between patient advocacy/herpes resource projects, and patient support groups – see the sections; Starting a Herpes Support Group and Starting a Herpes Association.

2. Inadequate project management as a result of reliance on voluntary help from people with herpes
Ensure proper resourcing for project management, including funds for a paid project manager – for more information click here.

3. Not having acceptance and credibility of the project by medical and health professionals
Create a strong medical partnership to ensure independent approval and support of materials – for more information click here.

4. Creating a vulnerable and unsafe situation for patients, through media exposure
Project manager acts as media spokesperson and as a liaison person between patients medical/health professionals, pharmaceutical industry and media – for more information click here.

5. Lack of patient confidentiality
Accept patients rights to have their confidentiality maintained and have appropriate systems in place to ensure this.

6. Having too much pharmaceutical PR bias, which may be counterproductive to ensuring patients needs are met
Material developed for media and press releases must be patient focused and meet the needs of patients. It may be necessary to seek the advice of an experienced clinician (medical or nurse specialist in the area of sexual health counselling of patients
with genital herpes).

7. Insufficient funding
Establish a successful partnership with a sponsor who has common objectives – for more information click here.

8. Lack of clear goals, objectives and outcomes
Create a business plan clearly defining goals, objectives, strategies, tactics and budget – for more information click here.

9. Perceived bias of a project that is funded by one pharmaceutical company
Ensure the process that is used can demonstrate independence and credibility.

10. Poor uptake of materials by medical and health professionals
Have a broad-based Professional Advisory Board with support from relevant colleges and medical groups. Resources need to be user friendly and packaged in a way that makes them easily accessible to medical and health professionals.